A free press is the cornerstone of democracy; there is no question about that." -Hugh Grant

"The Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to bare the secrets of government and inform the people." -Hugo Black

"The press doesn't stop publishing, by the way, in a fascist escalation; it simply watches what it says. That too can be an incremental process, and the pace at which the free press polices itself depends on how journalists are targeted." -Naomi Wolf

"When the public's right to know is threatened, and when the rights of free speech and free press are at risk, all of the other liberties we hold dear are endangered." -Christopher Dodd

"The objective I propose is quite simple to state: to foster the infrastructure of democracy - the system of a free press, unions, political parties, universities - which allows a people to choose their own way to develop their own culture, to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means." -Ronald Reagan

In a nation with a populace strife with individuals with mental problems who go on killing sprees, we have propaganda outlets, President Trump and the swathe of rabid Trump supporters who despise media pushing the envelope of demonizing the free press in the United States. We would not find any difference I suspect if it were the Nazi's themselves attempting to discredit and de-legitimatize the free press, aside from intentionally seeking out journalists systematically and killing them. We have had mentally stable people already act on the epidemic copious dissemination of propaganda, such as the man who shot up Pizza Planet due to the accusations it was harboring a child pedophile ring for Hillary Clinton.

The continued attempt to debase, discredit and slander the media has ratcheted up in recent weeks again, with Trump hosting his "Fake News Awards", which of course are all because of his incessant feud with the free press and the nature of what is happening around him, reality itself. The daily dose of drama of backstabbing, crying, pointing the fingers at everyone but themselves for the negative news that has plagued the Trump administration. The delirious narcissistic delusions that are harbored by the president and sustained by his sycophant staff keep Trump going it seems, yet reality marches on. No matter how much Trump screams fake news, the news pans out to be real. A year of denying Russian involvement in our election and years of denying any sort of collusion, all being called fake news by the delirious and seemingly hopelessly cornered administration, an actual email broke out about Trump Jr and staff's very own meeting they had with them, about Hilary's emails, that ended up being purveyed by Wikileaks themselves, long considered to be a shill for Putin in the intelligence community.

While 30% of the population clings to an illogical, fragile, and hopelessly delusional sense of reality that comes with believing the words of Trump and the becomingly increasingly bizarre propaganda arm of this administration, Fox News, the United States hasn't seen any greater peril since possibly 9/11, if not world war II. As Putin salivates at the chance to peddle divisive propaganda among our nations social media, the president complies and pushes away from the news by preferring to think of it as fake and as such, make his loyal deluded followers agree. There is a sickness in the nation, yet reality marches on forever showing Trump that this war against the media and reality, is unwinnable. No matter how hard he squirms, the majority can see through the madness and delirium plaguing Trump and his supporters. This was the case in Nazi Germany as well, Hitler did never win a popular vote and most of the German people never did align with Nazism, yet the nation suffered nonetheless.

We see the end of Trumpism is nigh, a delusion sustained by pure propaganda. Reality marches on and it marches too against Trump, as his falsehoods and lies pile up, so does that of the bizarre propaganda sites peddled by the average Trump supporter of the past decade. Fox News, has diminished its credibility even more so than it ever has with its ridiculous reports on Seth Rich and Uranium One that even they themselves have had to grapple with. Yet there is a fervency in place that will make this a slow death.

For the mainstream media, we owe all of our thanks. For reporting the facts and the truth, to the thoughtful analysis by well reasoned intellects, the champion through it all has shined ever bright, regardless of the mud slung at it. Freedom of the Press is prevailing, so is its mark of credibility and integrity against the sheer veracity of a wounded delusional ideology. Of course, mistakes will happen, should happen and do happen, yet through it all, there have been none that have appreciated the wealth of journalists and journalism in all that it has supplied in 2017. For that, I am thankful for the work they have done, the strife they have endured. The Mainstream Media has retained its dignity as a whole, the snake of Trumpism is crushing under its feet, gasping for the last of its sputtered breaths. Yet it is not over, journalists may indeed get killed at the hand of some rabid Trump supporter. Their call to kill journalists has been alarming, their hatred of media bound to their own rigid propagandized mind. Yet, it always was fighting against a war that could not be won.

The end of the free press began in earnest in the 1980's when the C.I.A. took over all information dissemination domestically and has been that way ever since. Then there was the government gag orders and jailing of journalists that began under George Bush Jr. Anymore all media platforms of the United States is under direct government control in total where there are no independent journalists anymore separate from the state. Around the same time in the 1980's we also see full control of all colleges and universities where they're fully regulated by the intelligence division of the United States government as well. Free press? Hasn't existed in the United States for decades.

"The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone."

"I put for the general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death."

-Thomas Hobbes-

"History is a set of lies agreed upon." - Napoleon Bonaparte

“To judge from the notions expounded by theologians, one must conclude that God created most men simply with a view to crowding hell.”― Marquis de Sade

“Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.”― Robert A. Heinlein

"Republicans are red and democrats are blue, neither political party gives a flying fuck about you." - Unknown Origin

“In the architecture of their life some may display Potemkin happiness in view of hiding the dark features of their fair weather relationship, preferring to set up a window dressing of fake satisfaction rather than being rejected as emotional outcasts." Erik Pevernagie

Zero_Sum wrote:The end of the free press began in earnest in the 1980's when the C.I.A. took over all information dissemination domestically and has been that way ever since. Then there was the government gag orders and jailing of journalists that began under George Bush Jr. Anymore all media platforms of the United States is under direct government control in total where there are no independent journalists anymore separate from the state. Around the same time in the 1980's we also see full control of all colleges and universities where they're fully regulated by the intelligence division of the United States government as well. Free press? Hasn't existed in the United States for decades.

This.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."